Forum menu
Interesting indeedy...pulls up a chair and biscuits....
Used to run a MM / RR on the hard tail, which was an amusing combo.
Always found the Hans Dampf a bit meh, and the side nobs came off too easy (though may have been fixed since). Also found it harder to slot into the casing sweet spot (essentially a Maxxis Double Down casing) for a rear tyre with Schwalbe.
Currently have MM front and Kryptotal back, which seems pretty much bob on. DHR2 DD has also been pretty decent. I'm not so bothered about rolling speed or weight though, as all my riding is very up/very down.
I will never understand the love for Hans dampf.
I thought it was quite widely hated?
I was actually back on a rear one on my mullet bike in the summer and autumn, since it was £17 - and it was quite adequate for my needs, if a bit sketchy on steep stuff, lacking in edge grip on off cambers and not as fast rolling as you'd hope 😀
Thats why it was £17
Yep, I knew what I was getting into.
Hans Dampf gets a lot of hate, it’s really not that bad a rear tyre, if it’s cheap enough..
I’ve paid more for worse tyres. Yes at rrp I’d probably not bother, but if a bike came with one fitted I’d not change until it was worn.
I mostly run a Hans Dampf because it was the cheapest super gravity tyre I could find and it does a reasonable job (the V2 version is a big improvement on the V1). I could go for a more grippy tyre but I don't want too much drag. I think a Tacky Chan would work well but they're not cheap as they're too new.
MM front, Nobby Nic rear on both bikes, with inserts (because I love the MM's and I won the Nobby Nics!). I find the NNs easily get damaged on rocks and a bit draggy. Fancy a change on the rear next time
I had a Hans Dampf super gravity that came fitted to a new bike. I didn't realise they had a reputation so I just rode it everywhere and shock horror, it was fine. A week in Málaga finished it off though.
It certainly rolled a hell of a lot faster than the Kryptotal I have now.
I need a proper read of this thread, got 2.4 MM f+r and there is definite drag…need a new rear tyre that has grip for climbing, braking but less drag than the MM.
@dickbarton I used to run front and rear MM's as loved the braking of the MM on the back. Tried the BB when she came out and she rolled better and braked just as well, has been my go to rear tire for years now. I am tempted by the TC's but not sure on F or R or F&R!
OP, Big Betty or Tacky Chan.
Ta, will take a nosey at the Big Betty.
Where are people riding that the Rock Razor is a viable option? I've not used one, but just looking at it I'd think it would only be good for about a week when it's actually dry in South Wales. Obviously it looks super fast rolling, but how does it hold up on steep and loose off-piste trails?
I've been running the Mary/Betty combo for about 5 years now, switched away a few times when I find decent tyres for cheap but I always come back to the Mary/Betty duo. Although on the ebike I've gone to the Eddy Currents F/R and I'm not sure I'm sold on it yet - plenty of traction and they roll just fine but they don't seem to have the same level of grip and predictability for me.
I use the rockrazor a lot here in the tweed valley, i tend not to use it so much if I'm going away somewhere just because i don't know the local conditions. It's surprisingly capable- when the ground gets soft the side treads come into play even on braking, and like I mentioned while it does obviously have less grip it's really well behaved with it- when it slides you still tend to go where you want to go which makes it way more useful than it seems (and it's less damaging when it slides so you don't feel as bad about it). Plus, dragginess is a trade, a grippier front and a faster rear can work really well and also tends to be really fun. Business at the front, party at the back 😉
I was pretty skeptical til I tried it but it really can do a lot. I probably have one on a bike for about 8 months a year, I wouldn't take it to the golfy today though. I tried a couple of competitor semislicks and it was the best by an absolute mile, the minion SS kinda sucked by comparison.
(if you can find one- and they're long discontinued- then the original Supergravity version is absolutely superb. It's much lighter than the newer SG but somehow still has really good protection and a nice not-too-solid feel to it too. Low tread tyres need stronger centre-tread protection than normal tyres because they don't have that extra rubber protecting the carcass, these hit a really sweet spot imo)
Bought some Maxxis